


When you Get Better

by Soyna



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: M/M, Romance, Teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-01-02
Updated: 2011-01-02
Packaged: 2017-10-14 08:37:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/147399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soyna/pseuds/Soyna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Reno is seriously injured and Tseng discovers how deep his feelings for the redhead.  Of course, they have to wait until he is better to move the relationship further.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> **Setting:**  
>  After Dirge and Advent is all said and done.
> 
>  **Disclaimer  
> ** All related Final Fantasy names and characters are copyrighted by the almighty Square Enix©.Special thanks to BeruthielsCat for doing the Beta job on this.
> 
> * * *

Tseng frowned at the scene in front of him. He stood back, feeling very helpless. He _was_ helpless. There was nothing he could do as the doctors and nurses worked on the injured man in the room.

The pained sounds were coming from the man who lay in the bed, hurting.

He had been waiting for two weeks to know what happened; two weeks of not knowing where he was or if he was alive or dead. Two weeks where the only thing Tseng could think of was finding him.

Hearing the screams from the bed and the series of curses that followed set his heart beating faster and he had to force himself to keep his distance and let the medical staff do their job.

A large hand fell on his shoulder. He didn't look at its owner; knowing it was Rude. He already knew how he looked and didn't want to contemplate upon how much of the blood on his shirt was Reno's. He knew that some of the blood was his own, but Tseng was well aware of how severe Reno's injuries were.

"He's tough," Rude said simply and gave his shoulder a squeeze.

Tseng could only nod. He did not trust his voice yet.

Reno was tough and Tseng knew that he was tough. You didn't last as a Turk if you weren't. He knew Reno was a good Turk and that he would recover quickly, but it still made his chest hurt at the thought of the screaming and cursing coming from the redhead's room.

He had spent the last two weeks worrying, which disturbed him. He didn't consider himself as much of a worrier, especially when it came to his Turks. They knew how to do their jobs and they knew how to do them well.

It was the fact that he'd allowed Reno to get to him a little more than he ever thought possible.

He had been just indulging Reno, in the beginning. Reno had shown up at the piano bar where Tseng liked to relax on Thursday nights and they had talked. Tseng had made it clear to Reno that they did not talk about work when they were there and he had complied. Since then, they had spent many a pleasant night there, talking about subjects that really made no difference in the larger picture. Eventually, he found he missed Reno's company when he wasn't around.

He got to the point where he enjoyed those nights where they would talk and have a few drinks. He had even indulged Reno by joining him at a club he liked to attend. Tseng was not one for dancing but the drinks and the strange tension he felt when he saw Reno dancing with the other men and women on the floor really bothered him, as did seeing others touching him.

Tseng's anxiety pushed him to dance to one song. He had felt awkward and strange, but he was determined to finish. He was starting to enjoy the movements when the song ended. Of course that was the night when Reno pushed things past their previous limits and as the song ended, Reno had thrown his arms around his shoulders and kissed him - quite firmly on his lips.

He had not been expecting it and had punched Reno hard in the gut before storming away. It startled him. He hadn't thought of their relationship as anything more than a friendship until that kiss, despite the other feelings he had been having.

Forming attachments was detrimental for Turks; always causing problems and complications. Complications that made him feel things that he wasn't supposed to feel.

Something he was finding out now as he watched a nurse roll out a bag with bloody bandages; Reno's bloody bandages.

The mission was supposed to be a simple one. A very simple one. It should have been easy for the two Turks and the small group of infantry. It was nearly humorous, the way Reno scoffed about it as they left the mission debriefing. Tseng had meant to talk to him about his attitude problem when he got back. After all, collecting a racing chocobo for Rufus was usually not something high on the list of difficulties for anyone but Rufus.

"Tseng?"

Tseng turned his gaze to Rufus. He did not want to deal with him at the moment. "How is Reno doing?"

There was a scream from the room and a series of curses. Tseng didn't feel the need to answer.

"Well, I am glad to hear he's still alive," Rufus said, and stood in front of him so that he had no choice but to look into his grey-blue eyes. "You're not blaming me for this, are you? I was not aware Zoloms were active in the area."

He did blame Rufus, though he knew it was irrational. He knew it was very irrational and he hated that his perspective was clouded. No one knew the Zoloms had decided they were going to travel outside their normal range; no one knew Avalanche was active enough in the area to shoot down the helicopter, either.

But he still wanted to blame someone else other than himself for not having correct information.

"Are you going to say anything?" Rufus said, sounding annoyed.

"I'm waiting to hear how injured he is. I will give you a report when I have it completed." Tseng was grateful that both his voice and gaze were firm despite the new sounds of pain that were coming from that room. He felt his breath hitch and hoped Rufus didn't notice his moment of weakness.

Rufus' eyes narrowed and his lips pressed firmly together. They stared at each other for a long moment. "I will be awaiting your report." He turned on his heel and left. Cissnei followed after him, giving Tseng an apologetic look before she too disappeared.

He would apologize later; when he was more rational … if he felt Rufus deserved it.

A laugh came from the room, causing him to take a step forward. It was Reno's laugh. Tseng desperately wanted to know what was going on. Only a few moments before, Reno was groaning, screaming and crying; now he was laughing.

"Go in." He turned his head to see Rude holding out a cup of coffee, and accepted it. He would have preferred tea, but he wasn't going to turn down a source of caffeine or warmth. He was grateful that someone had given Rude a new shirt so he didn't need to be reminded of Reno's blood. Rude leaned close and whispered, "All he did was babble about you."

Tseng could believe that; Reno liked the sound of his own voice quite a bit. It was often a chore for Reno to keep his mouth shut and Tseng found that he often craved silence when he was around.

Strange that he found himself, when Reno was away, craving the sound of his voice.

He took a sip of the coffee and tried to gather enough courage to go into the now-quiet room. He much preferred to hear noise coming from it. At least he knew that Reno was still alive and well when he was cursing and yelling.

A large hand slapped his back, causing him to stagger. He could feel Rude's hard glare even through those sunglasses, and made himself walk into the room.

Reno looked horrible; causing him to pause as he entered.

A doctor was sitting in a chair, hunched over a large gash in Reno's leg with a rather large needle in hand. Tseng had been told that the Zolom had got a fang in there, but didn't know the details of the attack yet.

"Yo, Tseng!" Tseng looked up at Reno's face, frowning at the large smile there. His face…

Tseng had to turn his gaze to the floor. The gaping wound on Reno's leg was easier to look at the than the damage to his face. One of Reno's eyes was swollen shut, so blackened he couldn't see the tattoo he knew was under it. The other eye, normally a green-blue that shone as if he had been infused with mako was now blood red, obscuring its natural color. Reno's lips were swollen; and there was a scrape that ran from his forehead down to his jaw.

"Hey, bossman. You look a little pale," Reno said with a slight slur. Tseng forced his eyes up.

Tseng turned his attention to a nurse who was studying a chart. "What is the extent of his injuries?"

He could see the obvious ones, but he wanted to know how serious they really were. She started to rattle off the list: aside from the eyes and a slight concussion, there were four cracked ribs, and the pierced leg was also broken. Apparently the Zolom's fang had gone through his thigh and broke the bone in addition to poisoning him. "We have treated him with an antidote and painkillers."

"Awesome sauce, painkillers!" Reno announced from his place on the bed. The doctor gave him hell for moving and Reno started laughing again.

The nurse gave a small sigh before continuing. "He should recover just fine if he rests. The leg was the worst of it."

Tseng nodded and turned his attention to the doctor who was finishing up, looking as if he was just making sure the stitches were secure. The pad under Reno's leg was red with blood.

It was then he noticed all the tubes that were attached to Reno, providing a slow feed of antidote and other medicines. Zolom poison was known to be rather painful as well as persistent. They obviously weren't taking any chances and Tseng was glad for the extra precaution. There were two empty blood bags already in the garbage and the one that was dripping into Reno along with the saline solution was nearly empty. He was hooked up to machines that beeped softly as they were attached to his hand and chest.

This situation was not good.

"Yo, Tseng. Are ya gonna come on over and sit with me?" Reno said and patted the side of the bed where they weren't working on him.

Tseng moved forward, setting his forgotten coffee aside. He became very aware that Reno smelled like a swamp and his hair looked matted and flat. He moved to sit on the bed and Reno's hand slapped his thigh and squeezed. "Fucked up the mission, bossman."

"The mission specs changed. It couldn't be helped," Tseng replied simply in a low voice. He found his hand grabbing the one that was touching his leg.

Reno's hand was cold. Tseng felt his chest tighten.

Reno threw his head back against the pillow and laughed again. "Damn snake was fuckin' huge. Put a claw right through me, yo," Reno said and his red eye blinked as a bloody tear fell from it.

"It was a fang," Tseng said.

"Fang. Claw. Whatever," Reno said, giving him another large, drug induced grin.

"What did you give him?" Tseng asked, turning to the doctor who was removing his gloves. Reno's leg was now bandaged and the nurse had removed the bloody pad from beneath it.

He listened to the doctor recite the list of drugs. He was about to ask what the side effects were when Reno started laughing again.

"He'll be a little out of it for awhile," the doctor said with a grin. "His leg wound was pretty serious but he's stable. He just needs to sleep it off and not move that leg for a good while. At least a week."

Tseng nodded and found his hand on Reno's again. "Got the fucker in the eye with my EMR. It was fuckin' gross when it blew, yo," Reno said and giggled promptly after. His one visible eye was drooping. Tseng reached for a tissue and wiped the bloody tear that had streaked down his face.

"Go to sleep," Tseng said and ran his hand down the mostly uninjured side of his face.

"'Kay," Reno said as he nuzzled into his hand and almost immediately started snoring. Tseng sat on the side of the bed and stared at the injured man for a long time. He didn't pay attention to the nurses injecting things into the IV tubes or clearing out the bloody bandages scattered on the floor.

Reno had gotten under his skin. Deeply.

Tseng had not worried too much when Reno left on the mission. After all, it was just to collect a large bird. He had only started to worry when they lost track of the helicopter, sending more Turks and SOLDIERs to find out what happened.

Reno was reckless but he was never reckless enough not to report in when he was supposed to. He may twist orders to his liking from time to time but he obeyed.

He placed his hand back on Reno's and rubbed, trying to warm it. It was disturbing that he was so cold.

Reno hadn't been deterred by the punch at the club. Instead, he walked in the next day as if nothing had happened; continuing with his work and annoying him as if things weren't changing. Tseng hated how he had kept thinking about that kiss and how it had startled him; it startled him more that he wanted another one.

They didn't talk about it until the next Thursday night at the piano bar. Reno was at their usual table with their usual drinks sitting in front of him. Tseng sat down in his usual chair and the first thing that Reno did was grab his arm and pull him into a kiss.

He didn't punch Reno that time.

"Knew ya liked me," Reno had whispered as he pulled away with a smug look on his face.

Tseng hadn't wanted to admit that he did. He tried to steer their conversation away from the kiss the entire night but Reno kept moving it expertly back there. Tseng never underestimated Reno's interrogation skills again.

"Sir?"

He looked up to see a nurse coming in with a cart, followed by an assistant. "I am going to give him a sponge bath now. I can call you back in when we are done."

Tseng stood and found that he was a little reluctant to let go of Reno's hand. He did though, straightening his suit as he prepared to leave but before he could, he heard his name moaned from Reno's bruised lips. He nearly told the woman he was going to stay but stopped himself as he went into the hall.

He reclaimed his coffee and took a sip. It had gotten cold. He looked at his watch and was a little shocked to find he had been sitting beside Reno for four hours.

Tseng went to the nurse's station and left instructions to be informed immediately if anything happened to Reno, no matter the hour or how seemingly trivial, he wanted to know. There was an older woman on duty that he had dealt with before even though he couldn't remember her name, one who was familiar with Turks. The younger ones didn't have the same respect but they soon would if anything were to go wrong.

He didn't go home. He went to the office and quickly compiled all the data from the incident as quickly and as rationally as he could.

When he opened the file that contained the pictures of the crashed chopper, it made him pause. The tail rotor was gone, which meant they would have been out of control when they landed and should by all rights be dead if the pilot had been anyone less than Reno.

The pictures of the Zolom were pleasing, causing him to smile; he was glad that the monster that hurt Reno was dead. He could see that Reno had been accurate in detailing how one of its eyes exploded. It was riddled with bullets as well; their backup infantry had to have emptied out their guns into the large snake.

Seeing the images of how Reno looked at the scene made him want to run to the hospital and make sure he was still alive. In the pictures, he looked like he was dead; his skin nearly blue.

He realized that the earlier reports had not been fully accurate in stating how bad Reno's injuries were. He would talk to his fellow Turks about withholding information like that again.

"I don't really need that report."

Tseng looked up from the pictures to see Rufus standing in his office. He hadn't even heard the door open. Rufus was in his running clothes and must have been out, because Dark Nation was circling around his feet.

"I'm nearly done," Tseng said as he closed the picture on his computer screen. "You will have it before I retire for the evening."

"Its morning already and as I said, I don't really need that report. Go back to the hospital," Rufus replied, tilting his head. "Go take care of Reno."

Tseng did not look at him. "I am that obvious?"

Rufus snorted. "No. You are the most difficult person in the world to read, but Reno isn't and it's obvious he has been pursuing you and you haven't pushed him away."

Tseng didn't move.

"Leave. I will look the report after my run," Rufus said, and Tseng finally looked at the young man standing in his office. "Just don't expect me to make this a habit."

* * *

Reno realized he wasn't in as much pain as he had been before, wondering if that meant he was dying.

He cracked open an eye carefully. The last time he opened the eye, everything was tinted red and he was almost scared that it would be the same again. He was able to see enough to confirm he wasn't in the swampy jungle anymore.

He sort of remembered now that he had been rescued. He examined the hospital room and all the wires and tubes that were coming out of him. He made himself look down and saw that he still had his leg. That was a good thing; he knew the injury was bad when he was stuck in the mouth of the Zolom. He knew it was horrible when Rude kept talking to him about everything but his leg, keeping it covered with his jacket. Rude was never talkative and it had made him worry that he was dying.

He rolled his head on the pillow to see Tseng sleeping, still wearing his stuffy suit, in the chair beside him. He couldn't help but smile, though it hurt a little as his lips were chapped. "Yo, bossman," he croaked. He hadn't realized his throat was so dry with the multitude of other injuries.

Tseng's dark eyes opened and he sat upright abruptly. "Reno?" Reno could see that Tseng was doing a quick survey of the room and his injuries. "Do you need me to call a nurse?"

Reno tried to laugh but it hurt like hell. He'd forgotten that the snake had cracked a few of his ribs before the infantry shot the damn thing full of bullets and got him out of the things mouth. Tseng put his hand on his arm. "I will get a nurse."

Reno didn't stop Tseng as he watched him walk briskly out of his hospital room. He didn't mind. He could ask for water and maybe a few more doses of whatever drug that they had given him when they came back.

He was starting to remember how worried Tseng looked when he first came into the room and he was glad that Tseng was here. He knew the man was coming around. It had taken a hell of a long time to get him to open up but this proved Reno now had his undivided attention.

A nurse came in and asked him a bunch of questions as she checked all the tubes and machines. He had to ask for water halfway through as his throat was so dry, smiling when Tseng darted off to get it and returned with a glass and a straw. He was a little startled when Tseng held the straw for him to have a drink.

He finished answering the nurse's questions and she gave him another dose of something that made him feel all groggy and nice. "The doctor will be here in an hour to check you."

Tseng waited until the nurse left. "How does your leg feel?" He held the straw for him again and Reno took another sip before he answered.

"I don't really know," Reno answered honestly. It was covered with a blanket now and he knew it was there but he was scared to move it. All the other pains, even the time he had been shot, had not been as bad as this. "It is there, right?"

"It's there," Tseng said. "Do you want more water?"

Reno shook his head. "Did ya see it?" Reno asked. He had refused to look at his leg after they had extracted the fang from it. He knew it was a bad injury, and he knew that it was swollen and it hurt like hell. He was surprised that he was even alive.

Tseng nodded.

"How long have ya been sittin' there, bossman?" Reno asked and licked his lips. They still felt sore and dry.

"I have been here since early this morning," Tseng said. "You've nearly slept the day away. You have already missed supper."

Reno blinked. "I've been out that long?"

Tseng wetted his finger in the glass and rubbed it over Reno's lips. "You needed your rest," Tseng said as he repeated the action.

Tseng was not one who showed his feelings very well; it was hard for him to open up in any way, shape or form. It took him forever to be the one to initiate the first kiss or caress between them. Having Tseng nursing his chapped lips like that was not only touching but was turning him on. Reno couldn't help himself as he captured the tips of those fingers between his lips.

Tseng pulled away sharply. "What are you doing?"

Reno smirked. "Fuck, I'm hurt, not dead." He knew he was going to get a lecture about inappropriate behaviour again but it was damn sexy having the other man run his fingers along his lips like that.

"This is not the time for such things," Tseng said in a stern tone.

"Yeah, yeah," Reno said with a smile as he watched Tseng straighten his back. "I know, inappropriate behaviour and all that, yo." Reno rested his head back against his pillow and stared up at him. "Were ya worried about me?"

Tseng frowned. "I knew you were capable of dealing with the situation." Tseng was still standing there with the ice cup in one hand and the other at his side. Reno knew it was a bullshit line; he could see the look in his eyes. Tseng was worried; he knew Tseng was worried because the boss did not sit at the side of the bed while one of his Turks was in the hospital.

Tseng would only do that for him.

Reno smiled at the thought. It had been a long hard road to get into Tseng's life. They still had a lot of misunderstandings and tense moments but they always worked things out. The only thing he regretted is that they had only progressed a little beyond kissing; and how that had always left him wanting more.

After nearly dying, he was not going to have any more regrets.

He licked his lips. "I think they are still a little dry, yo," Reno whispered and blinked up, not so innocently, at Tseng.

Tseng scowled. "Reno." The way Tseng said his name made Reno smile, his tone only holding a touch of annoyance. "You need to rest. You shouldn't get yourself worked up." Tseng put the straw against his lips again and he took a sip. He knew Tseng wouldn't give in just yet.

The doctor walked in and Reno had to answer all the same questions again but the doctor pulled the blanket off his leg. He looked away, not even wanting to see the bandage. "I need you to wiggle your toes.

He tried and it fuckin' hurt. Reno was pretty much sure that the whole floor heard how much it hurt to try to move his toes. He didn't like how the doctor frowned but he did like how Tseng grabbed his hand and told him to squeeze.

Tseng didn't let go when the wave of pain faded. Reno didn't like his toes being poked with a pen and he didn't like the doctor messing with his bandages. He kept his eyes squeezed shut and buried his face in his pillow. He felt a comforting hand run through his hair and felt his heart strain. Tseng was not a man who was openly affectionate and feeling that tender hand was more than enough to elicit a groan.

"Can you tell me where it hurts?" the doctor asked.

"Every-fuckin'-where, yo," Reno mumbled. If getting nearly killed made Tseng turn into a tender wuss, it was well worth all the pain.

* * *

Tseng was glad to see that Reno was sleeping more comfortably again. They had used a cure on him but the wound was bad and the bone and muscles were being stubborn. The doctors said it had to do with the poison and the length of time it took to get Reno to treatment.

Tseng paid attention to all the doctors and nurses. They removed his leg bandage after the Cure and it looked better but still not well enough to remove the stitches.

Tseng found that he was rather annoyed by the hospital, as it was hardly a restful environment. The sounds of the nurses laughing amongst themselves and the clattering of carts and people who had no idea how to use a lower tone of voice was irritating.

A person could not heal with this much noise going on. With every sound, Reno would twitch or whimper. Tseng also hated that every time someone would enter the room he would have to let go of his hand. Reno only had one IV now, one that was feeding him saline solution to keep him hydrated, and needed a quiet place to heal.

When the doctor came in and checked his leg at the end of the day, Tseng asked the question which had been on his mind for hours. "When can he be released?"

"I was going suggest in the morning. He needs to someone to take care of him though as he shouldn't be putting weight on that leg for at least a week." The doctor said. "We can set up home care for him if he doesn't have any family."

"That won't be an issue."

* * *

Reno couldn't help but have a huge, silly grin on his face. It wasn't how he imagined he would finally get into Tseng's bed but he would take it. Rude carried him in as Tseng pulled down the covers and he was placed in the most comfortable bed in the world.

Rude grunted. "You're grinning like an idiot," he whispered in his husky voice as Reno was laid down.

Reno just kept grinning and Rude shook his head. Reno's thoughts were that he couldn't think of a better way to recover from an injury.

"He will not be allowed visitors," Tseng stated as Rude straightened up. "His phone will be off while he is here and if there is something urgent you can contact me. No one, not even Rufus, will visit during this period of recovery. It will go more quickly if he is not disturbed; make sure that everyone knows this. I will be checking my emails when time allows and will deal with any difficulties then."

Rude nodded and then patted his partner's head as if he were a kid. Reno didn't care though. He was in Tseng's bed and he was going to be undisturbed for a week. This was the best thing that ever happened to him.

Rude left with a wave and a smirk on his face.

Reno smiled up at Tseng. "So, what we gonna do, jus' the two of us, yo?" The bed did feel really comfortable. Not too firm and not too soft and he couldn't wait for Tseng to lie down beside him.

Tseng removed his jacket and Reno thought his face was going to crack from his smile. He'd only gotten Tseng out of his jacket once and had just about got his shirt nearly undone as well. That was an epic day but then he went on the mission so he couldn't continue his progress. But this was a wonderful step forward and it was almost worth nearly dying to end up where he was.

"You're going to rest. I am going to get you some food; something much better than that horrible hospital food and then you are going to sleep," Tseng replied, looking over at him.

"I was thinkin' that ya could join me here for a little while," Reno said and patted the empty spot beside him.

Tseng shook his head and crossed his arms. "Not until you are better. You're certainly in no shape for any activities other than resting."

Reno blinked as Tseng left. He could hear him moving around in the other room, supposedly preparing food. Then the horror of what Tseng had just said sunk in. He was going to be spending a lot of time in Tseng's bed without Tseng.

"Aw, come on!" He yelled. "You can't be fuckin' serious, yo?"

He didn't get an answer.

"Tseng!" He yelled again and started to cough. The motion from it hurt his chest and then hurt his leg. "Fuck," he mumbled as Tseng came in with a glass of water and a smug smirk on his face.

Reno forced himself to take a couple of deep breaths to calm the coughing and the pain it left behind. When he finished, the glass of water was handed to him and he took it in his shaking hand, managing a sip before Tseng took the glass and placed it on the bedside table.

Tseng leant over him and touched his lips with his own. It wasn't a deep kiss but it was a kiss that Reno wanted to deepen. He would have too, if he could have moved and Tseng had let him up.

His dark eyes looked down at him with a hint of amusement. "Not until you're better." He stood straighter and let out a deep sigh. "Now, can I go prepare you dinner without you yelling or hurting yourself further?"

Reno knew he was pouting.

This was not how he'd thought this was going to work out.

He lay there and stared at the ceiling as he listened to Tseng move around in the kitchen. The bed was quite comfortable and it would have been a hell of a lot more comfortable if Tseng was in with him.

He ran a hand over his chest. The ache wasn't as bad as it had been in the hospital before the cure but his ribs were still tender. His leg was the worst. The doctor said that he should stretch it but not put weight on it to make sure the muscles didn't tighten too much. There was talk about some physiotherapy stuff but Tseng said he was going to make sure that Reno did what he was supposed to do to get better.

Without the fun that he was hoping for.

So, maybe it wasn't as good a deal as he'd hoped; at least he had finally gotten a kiss and if he was persistent, maybe he could get a little bit more.

Tseng finally re-entered the room and asked him if he was okay. "A bit hungry," he admitted especially because whatever Tseng was cooking smelled good. The hospital food wasn't the best and he knew Tseng was a good cook from the last time he made a meal for him. "I guess," he added. He would rather have Tseng lying beside him than eat.

"Good," Tseng said. "Let's get you comfortable." That was when his back was supported by more pillows and Tseng pulled out a bed tray and set it over his lap. He then brought in the food and Reno was pleased to see that it was his favourite meal. He smiled at the plate of food.

"I even made extra meat balls for you as well," Tseng said. "I don't make this very often, so I hope that it turns out all right."

Reno took a taste and it was good. Hell, anything Tseng did was good. "Excellent," Reno said through a mouthful before he remembered how much Tseng hated that. He covered his mouth and swallowed. "Thanks, yo."

Tseng sat on the edge of the bed and gave him a sad smile, running his hand over his injured leg with a touch that was gentle and concerned. "It shouldn't take you long to recover if you follow the doctor's instructions."

"Uh-huh," Reno said and stuffed some more of the spaghetti in his mouth. It was good and he hadn't realized he was so hungry until he started to eat.

"Don't eat so fast. If you choke I will have to reinjure your ribs," Tseng said with a smile that just touched the corners of his mouth. Reno slowed down but he also found that his stomach couldn't handle too much. It was starting to protest the rich food.

Besides, it was a little unnerving to have Tseng watching him eat.

"I don't think I could eat anymore," Reno said as he half finished. His stomach grumbled in protest. He remembered not being able to hold much down while he was poisoned and injured; every time they tried to feed him, he would throw up. Before that, Rude kept had him going with potions and water. This was a lot of food.

Tseng just nodded, taking the plate from him before removing the tray.

"So what are we goin' to do now, yo?" he asked as Tseng returned.

"You are going to rest," Tseng said and started to remove the extra pillows from behind his back. "You need to sleep to recover."

"Can't I watch a little TV or somethin'?" Reno asked.

"No. No TV, no radio, no computer. You can read if you want but you are resting and nothing else," Tseng said as he pulled the blankets over his chest.

"But …" Reno started to protest.

"No buts. You're going to rest and get better." Reno closed his eyes as a hand ran through his hair and he felt Tseng's lips on his forehead. "Rest."

"I could use a proper goodnight kiss, yo," he whispered in return.

"When you're better," Tseng replied fondly. "Rest."

"I'm not in that bad of shape," he protested.

Tseng shook his head but kept running his hand through Reno's hair in a soothing manner. "You can still have a relapse from the poison and we have to watch for fever. You were hurt really bad, Reno. I couldn't bear the thought of losing you."

Reno smiled fondly up at Tseng. Tseng was not one to display emotions and this was the most he had ever seen from him.

"Yo, too stubborn to die."

Tseng chuckled and removed his hand from his hair. "That you are. I am grateful for it."

"So," Reno drew out the sound. "How 'bout that kiss, yo?"

"You do not need to get worked up. You need to rest."

"Too late Boss man," Reno said as he looked down at the impressive tent forming under the blankets. Tseng must not have realized how sensual his touch was or how deeply he was affected by the dark-haired Turk.

"Go to sleep," Tseng said and stood with his arms crossed. "This is not the time to think about that," he started to walk from the room, "When you are better."

Reno pouted a little as Tseng left. This time with Tseng was not going to be as much fun as he thought.

* * *

Reno was surprised he had been able to sleep for so long. He was rather comfortable in Tseng's bed but was still disappointed that Tseng did not join him. He wondered if Tseng slept on the couch; it was nice enough but not as good as the bed.

His biggest concern was how he was going to get out of bed to go to the bathroom. He didn't want to call Tseng to help him take a piss. Definitely not how he wanted it to go down but he moved his damaged leg and it still was not really cooperating with him. He groaned. He knew there was no way he was going to be able to put weight on it and he didn't have crutches nearby.

Tseng walked in and it nearly caused his heart to stop. Tseng was only wearing a pair of cotton pants that were a little loose on the hips and held up by a drawstring. He could see the treasure trail that dipped into those pants and groaned at how quickly he got a boner at the sight. It was even going to be more embarrassing to take a piss if he was hard.

"You're awake. How do you feel?"

"Better," he said. It wasn't a lie. He did feel better. It was just his full bladder and the boner that were causing him discomfort now. "Gotta take a piss, yo." He felt his cheeks start to burn.

"I will help you. While we are in there, you can soak in the bath." Tseng left to get the crutches.

More than Reno's cheeks were burning at the thought of having a bath and all the naughty and pleasant images of what they could be doing in the tub.

Tseng returned with the crutches and helped him out of the bed. Reno found it a little awkward and jarred his leg when he tried to stand up. He no longer had to worry about his boner as by the time he got to the bathroom, he was sweating.

"Can you manage on your own?"

Reno nodded. He didn't want help. He managed to brace himself against the sink, using one of his crutches to steady his body on the other side. It left him one hand to deal with his pants and the rest, but he didn't want Tseng to help him with this. He wanted to be naked with the man but not like this.

He was grateful that Tseng let him do it on his own.

Then it struck him. Tseng was going to give him a bath. He was going to be naked in Tseng's bath. He looked over to the tub and saw that Tseng indeed had a big enough tub for two. He started to smile like an idiot again and couldn't stop the silly grin from coming on his face.

Tseng politely knocked before opening the door. He had a small bottle with him as he walked in. Reno couldn't help but wonder what the bottle was.

"We need to get your hair washed," Tseng said and stopped to give him a serious look. "Get that smile off your face. It's only a bath."

Reno was going to try his best to make sure that it was more than just a bath.

Tseng shook his head and walked to the tub, starting to fill it. Reno limped over, using the crutches. Tseng turned his head slightly and ran his hand under the tap. "Aren't you going to get undressed?"

"Aren't ya gonna help me?" Reno smirked and leaned one of his crutches against the wall.

He heard Tseng grunt and watched him shake his head. "You are insufferable." It didn't stop Tseng from standing and wrapping his arm around his waist. Reno leaned into Tseng and reached for a kiss. He ran his tongue over Tseng's lips and was pleased when he was allowed to deepen the kiss.

This was more like it.

When Tseng pulled back, he felt his nightshirt go with him. Reno gladly let Tseng do it, imagining how wonderful Tseng would look when he got him naked in that tub. Tseng ran a hand down his hip and tugged on the already loose pants.

"You have lost too much weight," Tseng said. "You are going to have to eat more."

"There are a lot of things I would like to eat," he said with a raspy voice.

Tseng gave a sigh. "Let's get you in the tub." Reno was more than willing.

Tseng removed the rest of his clothes and Reno tried to get Tseng's pants off but got the, 'not until you're better' line. That was really starting to frustrate Reno. He was stark naked and being clumsily lowered into the tub.

"Ya wanna join me?" Reno asked as he finally settled into the tub. It was harder than he thought to climb in, as his leg didn't want to bend properly and ended up splashing Tseng. Not enough to get him to take off his pants, though.

"Not until …"

Reno interrupted him. "Ya, ya. Got it."

Tseng smiled and reached over to cup his face in his hand. "Be patient, Reno. When you are better, you will be able to enjoy it more." Reno wanted to protest. He wanted more than just these kisses. The evidence was growing again to prove how much he wanted more but he just sighed and gave in.

"Promise, yo?"

Tseng nodded and gave him a quick, chaste kiss. "Now, let's get that swamp smell out of your hair."

Reno didn't argue as Tseng washed his hair. He never thought someone massaging his scalp and soaping his hair would be so relaxing and sensual. Tseng washed him and turned him into a pile of goo in the warm water of the tub that smelled of the lavender oil that Tseng added after he washed his hair.

"This is the best way to recover, yo," Reno said with hooded eyes.

"I will go change the sheets and then I will put you back to bed," Tseng said with a comforting hand on his shoulder before standing.

"Will ya sleep with me tonight?" he asked.

"Not until you are better."

"Jus' beside me. You're couch can't be comfortable, yo," Reno said. "I can restrain myself from mauling ya."

Tseng shook his head and chuckled. "We shall see."

* * *

Getting out of the tub was more difficult that getting in. He did get Tseng all wet as his leg gave out on him. He was then wrapped in a warm, fluffy towel and dried off before Tseng dressed him and tucked him into bed. It was exhausting and comforting all the same that Tseng had the patience to take care of him.

But he wanted Tseng in the bed with him. "What's wrong with a little cuddlin'?" Reno knew he was whining, but he didn't care. He was hurting and wanted to be close to the other man.

"You need to eat something before you fall asleep," Tseng said as he left the room and went into the kitchen.

Reno pouted but his stomach growled. "Traitor," he mumbled as he arranged himself in the bed.

Tseng brought him some food he must have cooked earlier, placed the tray on his lap and waited as he ate. It was simple chicken and noodles with some sort of beans in it that he protested eating but Tseng made him. He realized that he was starting to fall asleep as he ate and must have dozed only opening his eyes when he felt the tray being removed from his lap.

"Sleep," Tseng whispered and ran a hand through his hair. Reno wanted to protest but he was warm from the bath and now full. The room was dim and comfortable and the touch of Tseng's hand relaxed him. "We can talk more in the morning."

He tried to reply but it just came out as a moan as some of the pillows were removed from behind him and he was tucked into the warm bed. He hoped that Tseng would sleep beside him instead of on his couch but he didn't know if he was able to get the words out before sleep took him.

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

Tseng sighed as he watched Reno fall asleep. He’d only eaten half the food he needed to and was weaker than he was letting on.

It had him worried.

Reno was normally more resilient than that.

He nearly gave into Reno’s demands to lie beside him to make sure that he slept better. Reno wouldn’t remember how often Tseng had come into the room to check on him as he whimpered in his sleep or gave a cry.

Tseng found his hand running through the red hair again, checking on the bruise that was almost nonexistent around his eye now. He did look so much better than he had and his colour was better than it had been before but he was still so weak.

Reno made a small noise in his sleep again, whimpering and twisting as if he was uncomfortable again. Tseng tugged on the blankets and made sure that the redhead was at least warm before he grabbed the half eaten food and tray and went into the kitchen to clean up. He placed the dishes in the sink and then looked at his office, spread out on the kitchen table. His lap top was showing emails that needed attending to and his PHS was vibrating at the edge of the table, nearly falling to the floor. Beyond this, there was a haphazard stack of papers on the counter that he needed to go through.

He finished cleaning the kitchen before dealing with work. In between, he needed to check on Reno again before he sat down at his usually empty table. Reno seemed to be resting a bit better than the night before.

Tseng decided to have the doctor come back tomorrow to check on him; to make sure there weren’t any additional ill effects from the Zolom poison or other injuries still causing him problems.

Tseng knew that he was most likely being paranoid again about Reno’s health but he didn’t know how else to deal with these odd new feelings consuming him.

He adjusted the blankets before finding himself running his hands through Reno’s still damp hair and checking for fever yet again. There was none. Reno’s breathing was calm and even and there seemed nothing to worry about other than how the redhead looked tired even when resting.

Tseng made himself remember that it had only been a few days since Reno’s return; Materia only went so far in healing a person and Reno had taken a lot of damage from the attack. He leaned down and laid a quick kiss on his forehead before he straightened and went into the kitchen, slightly ashamed of the moment of weakness, grateful that Reno was asleep so couldn’t tease him and try to coax him into the bed again.

He made himself a cup of green tea and then tried to concentrate on the messages. He read through the emails and quickly sent off the ones that could be dealt with by others to the appropriate people. There were a few things that he could quickly answer himself and he did so. Then his phone vibrated anew and he picked up. “Tseng,” he said out of habit as he pressed the button.

“How is he doing?”

Tseng wished he had looked at the call display beforehand. “He’s fine, Rufus. He’s resting.” He didn’t want to talk to the blond and had been careful in not answering, nor was he planning to return his future calls.

“Can I come to visit?”

“He is resting,” Tseng replied curtly. He had given explicit instructions that no one was to visit because Reno was to rest. He knew Rufus had received those instructions and that they did include him.

“I’m worried about him too and would like to be able to report back to the others who are asking about his wellbeing,” Rufus replied diplomatically.

“He’s not ready yet. He needs more sleep,” Tseng responded curtly, even as he realized he was being too much of a mother hen. “A couple of days, yet. He hasn’t been awake for more than a couple of hours at a time and needs to gain more strength.”

Rufus gave a small chuckle. “Alright. I will check back tomorrow. Take good care of him.”

Tseng disconnected his phone and then shut it off, deciding he was no longer going to take calls. He closed the lid on his laptop and took a sip of his barely touched, now cold tea. He was tired. He had hardly slept during the night because of his worry for the redhead in the other room, nor was his couch very comfortable.

He was tempted to take Reno up on his offer and lie down beside him to sleep, but he knew the redhead all too well. If he became aware of Tseng’s presence, Reno would be trying to initiate more than just a cuddle and the problem was, he was wearing down.

Giving Reno a bath and remaining cool about it was difficult, especially since every time Reno moved his leg, Reno would wince without realizing it. He was not as well as he said he was.

Tseng blinked his tired eyes a few times and decided to give in, walking over to the couch and lying down on it. He was a light enough sleeper that he would wake when Reno did. Reno would need to eat some more when he woke and hopefully he would be able to stay awake longer.

……………………………………………………………………………………

Reno frowned at his lunch. “Don’t ya have something with a little more meat, yo?”  
Yogurt and berries over granola was not his idea of a meal.

“There is protein powder mixed in the yogurt,” Tseng said as he arranged the spoon on the tray.

“Ain’t ya supposed to me making me better? Protein powder is gross,” the redhead complained, prodding the mixture with his spoon. He hated all that health food junk. Rude constantly was adding protein powder to his food and it always smelled awful and tasted worse.

“Try it.”

Reno sighed and gave in, knowing he had no choice. Tseng would make him eat it one way or the other eventually and he _was_ rather hungry. “I prefer strawberries, for your future reference,” he grumbled as he took a spoon of the mixture.

“I will make a note of that,” Tseng replied as he stood there watching him.

Reno didn’t even taste the protein powder. He would have to tell Rude to upgrade from his crappy stuff because this was rather appealing. He was able to finish it all, even though Tseng watching him eat the whole time he was making him a little uncomfortable.

“Do you want more?” Tseng asked.

“No, I’m fine.”

“Are you tired again?”

“Nah, I’m good.”

“How does your leg feel?”

“Fine.”

“Is there anything else you need?”

“You.”

Tseng smiled. It was small, but it was a smile. “Not until you’re better.”

“Yo, are ya serious about that?” Reno whimpered.

“Yes, I am. Is there anything else I can get for you?” Tseng asked seriously as he removed the empty plates.

“I dunno. Can you get my laptop from Rude? I’ve got a lotta stuff to catch up on, I’m sure,” Reno replied as he stretched, noting it didn’t hurt nearly as much to do so as it had before. The bath and nap had done him good.

“No.”

“No?”

“You’re resting,” Tseng said as he exited the bedroom with the tray and dishes.

“What am I supposed to do, yo!? Stare at the ceiling?!” Reno yelled. He was never one just to lie around and his mind wasn’t injured. Tseng had already made it abundantly clear that he wasn’t going to keep him occupied in the bed in the way that he wanted him to, so Reno decided he was going to start complaining.

“I’m not an invalid!” Reno griped. “If I don’t have somethin’ to entertain me, I’m gonna find somethin’ else to do! I most likely will do somethin’ stupid and hurt myself again, yo. Then you’ll regret not cuddlin’ here with me in bed!” Tseng still had not returned. “Yo! Are ya listenin’ to my rant, here?!”

Tseng walked into the room with a hardcover book in his hand. Reno thought for a moment that Tseng was going to beat him with it, but it ended up being held out to him instead.

“Read,” Tseng ordered, and let the book drop into his lap.

“Read?” Reno replied in disbelief, looking at the book. “I don’t read for fun, yo.” He _had_ to read for work, but liked to watch movies and listen to music in his off time. He did not want to work his brain when he was trying to relax.

“Learn to, because that is all that I have to offer,” Tseng replied coolly.

Reno tried his sexist smile. “You got plenty to offer.”

“When you are better,” Tseng countered and left the room.

Reno cursed under his breath, glaring at the book he’d been given. He was tempted to throw it across the room and stare at the ceiling instead, but he knew he would go stir crazy soon enough and beg for it back since begging for fun stuff was not working.

He opened it and hoped the damn book would at least be interesting, or else he was going to find a way to drag Tseng into bed with him.

……………………………………

Tseng checked on Reno and hour later and almost went for his camera. Reno was sleeping again, and the way he was sleeping could only be described as adorable. He was sitting against his pillows with his mouth open and drooling slightly, his red head tilted back, exposing his throat. The book was open in his lap and it appeared he’d only gotten a couple of pages into it.

He was still so very tired and needed his rest even if he didn’t realize how hurt he’d actually been. Reno could just be so stubborn at times and needed someone to keep him in line so he could recover properly.

Tseng marked the redhead’s page and encouraged him to lie down. Reno opened his eyes and blinked at him as he got him tucked back under the covers. “Joinin’?” Reno whispered.

“When you are better,” Tseng replied quietly as he smoothed the blanket around his shoulders.

“Knew ya would say that,” Reno mumbled as he closed his eyes and immediately fell asleep again.

Tseng smiled softly down at him. Reno was still so tired and weak but he was getting better and that was all that really mattered. He watched the redhead sleep for a moment longer before he walked back towards the kitchen to continue his work. Knowing that Reno was resting comfortably and getting better would be enable him to concentrate.

 _Reno was getting better._

Tseng covered his eyes and only made it half way through to the kitchen before he had to stop; a wave of emotional pain crashing through him. His breath hitched in his chest and he had to close his eyes to prevent the tears that threatened to fall.

He didn’t cry. He was no longer a child. He was the head of the Turks and this kind of emotion wasn’t supposed to happen. _Reno was fine and resting comfortably in the bed and he was going to be okay._

“He’s going to be okay,” he whispered, to force the thought out of his head. This statement merely brought another, though. _What if he had died?_

The thought made Tseng’s legs weak and his heart race. He felt sweat break out on his brow and swallowed painfully.

What would he have done?

It took him a few moments to get his feet working before he sat down heavily at the table and pushed back the images of how Reno looked in the hospital. How he had nearly died and been lost to him. And how Tseng would never have been able to tell him how much he really did care.

It was part of the job. It was part of what it meant to be a Turk. There was always a chance of getting hurt or even killed. They were good at what they did and those who lived past the first year were Turks that were exceptional. But even simple missions, merely to retrieve a prize Chocobos for the bratty Vice-President could become dangerous and end the life of one that he held dear.

It was why Tseng never allowed his feelings come into play.

Of course, that was before Reno.

It took him a half and hour of deep breathing exercises to regain his composure.

He clicked his computer back on and tried to bury himself in his work once again, working on some overdue documents. They weren’t anything really necessary but he saw that Rude was taking good care of the truly urgent matters and even managing to deflect Rufus and others from trying to visit Reno.

The redhead still needed to rest and Tseng was going to ensure that Reno got better without interference from anyone.

…………………………………

Reno had not realized how quickly he had fallen asleep or that he slept so much. He only woke up to eat, go to the bathroom, and try to get Tseng to at least lie down beside him. He’d only managed ten pages of the book in the entire two days time he head been in the bed. That was when Tseng had the doctor come and check on him. The doctor seemed quite pleased with the progress Reno was making, reminding him to stretch his leg gently and even removed the stitches. There was very little blood, but it made it tender again.

Tseng was hovering like a mother hen the whole time and Reno was enjoying the attention he was getting. He was not used to Tseng being so touchy or concerned. It was nice, but at the same time he wished the guy would get a little _more_ touchy.

“He’s been sleeping a lot,” Tseng remarked. “Is that a side effect of the poison?”

The doctor nodded. “The poison, excessive materia use, plus the medicine we gave him. His sleeping pattern should return to normal in another day or two.” He replied, looking down at Reno where he lay on the bed. “From the extent of the injuries, he’s coming along quite well.”

Tseng’s smile seemed relieved as he escorted the doctor out.

Reno opened his book as he waited for Tseng to return with some food and read a few more pages. It was actually an interesting story, one that was starting to amuse him quite a bit. The poor, reluctant hero being dragged around by people that were bigger, stronger and more able than he was.

Tseng returned with a tray of fruit and cheese, along with a glass of juice. Reno would kill for a coffee but Tseng was not allowing stimulants of any kind, and on top of that list was caffeine and sex.

Now that Tseng was assured he was getting better and recovering well, Reno hoped Tseng would let his guard down a bit. Just a little would be nice, enough so that he would cuddle into bed with him. If Reno could get him to do that, he could move on to more. Hopefully.

“So, I’m gettin’ better,” Reno observed.

“Yes, you are,” Tseng replied as he set up the tray.

Reno couldn’t help but notice that Tseng appeared more tired than he had before. His hair was not as smooth and his eyes were tinged with red. “You’re wearin’ yourself out takin’ care of me.”

“I’m fine,” Tseng replied as he lifted a piece of melon to his lips.

“You’d be better if ya were sleepin’ in here,” Reno countered, looking at the other half of the rumpled bed. “Ya don’t have ta sleep on the couch.”

Tseng picked up another piece of fruit and unexpectedly stuffed it into Reno’s mouth. After he’d chewed it and swallowed, he laughed at Tseng. “Is that you’re way of sayin’ ‘when I’m better’ again?”

“I’m sure you’re getting tired of hearing me say it,” Tseng replied as he picked up another piece and placed it more gently against Reno’s lips. It was a strawberry, and was much better than the melon.

“Not givin’ up, yo,” Reno said as he eyed a piece of cheese and was thrilled to see Tseng pick up some and offer it to him. He took it within his lips and tried to get Tseng’s finger as well, but he seemed wise to that move and quickly backed his hand away from Reno’s overeager lips.

“I don’t expect you too,” Tseng said as he picked up another piece of fruit. “Eat, and then rest some more.”

“Didn’t you hear what the doc said? He said that I was better,” Reno mumbled as another pieces of fruit was stuffed in his mouth.

“I heard.”

“So, aren’t ya gonna let up on the rules a bit?” Reno tried to make his eyes large as possible, using his best pouty face to try to sway him.

“No.”

“Just a little,” Reno begged, not ashamed for doing so. He wanted something more than just the few stolen kisses that he’d been getting. Tseng wouldn’t even touch him like he wanted in the shower. It was infuriating to no end.

“No.”

“Yo, ya gonna give me a case of blue balls,” Reno whimpered. “That hurts too, ya know.”

Tseng leaned down and pressed his lips against the redhead’s. Reno whimpered into the kiss and pushed it deeper. He was grateful that Tseng allowed him a little more this time as his tongue reached out to meet his. Reno closed his eyes and let himself wander into the kiss further, reaching up with one hand to run his hands through Tseng’s silk like hair.

That was when Tseng pulled back and shook his head. “Blue balls is a misery that you are creating for yourself. So, we won’t worry about that problem until you are better.”

Reno gasped and couldn’t think of a comeback.

“Finish the rest of your lunch, read some more of the book. If you finish that one, there are three more, this is just the prequel.” Tseng patted his head as if he was a child and left the room.

Reno blinked a few times and groaned. “I’m serious, yo! Really hurtin’ here!” he yelled, knowing that Tseng could hear him.

“I am well aware,” came the response from the other room, along with a command. “Rest.”

Reno didn’t feel like resting anymore. He wanted to get up and walk around. He didn’t want to be cooped up in bed, even if it was Tseng’s. He wasn’t having fun anymore and yelled, making his displeasure known.

“Getting better is not about fun!” was the immediate response.

He picked up the book and began to read again, sighing. At least the story about the reluctant hero was interesting.

…………………………………………………………………………………………

Four books later, Reno was dying of boredom. The books had been good and he was able to have a good discussion with Tseng about the story, but it wasn’t cutting it. He didn’t’ know what was going on in the outside world and it was killing him.

He was used to talking to Rude every day. He was used to teasing Cissnei and having a hot cup of coffee and chilling with a paper. Tseng wouldn’t even allow him a newspaper and he was down right getting annoyed about Tseng’s insistence of ‘When you get better’ crap.

Reno was able to hobble around quite well on the crutches now and didn’t need help getting in and out of the bath, even though he insisted on getting Tseng helping him with it. He’d only used one of the crutches to walk to and from the bathroom and tried to make his way into the living room one time but Tseng yelled at him to get back to bed.

“Only if you join me!” he snarked.

And got the damn typical response. “When you get better.”

He was getting really frustrated, in more ways than one.

So when Tseng accidentally left his phone in the bedroom, he was thrilled. He felt a little strange picking up the boss man’s phone but at the same time he craved information and was wanting to know what the hell was going on elsewhere.

Reno picked up the phone and called Zack first. Zack always knew pretty much everything that was going on. It was only because he was friends with Kunsel that he knew stuff, but Reno wasn’t that big of a fan of talking to Kunsel. He always seemed to know too much and would filter the information for him. Zack didn’t have a filter.

He dialled the number and was grateful to hear another voice as Zack answered the phone, sounding so professional. “Zack Fair here.”

“Zack,” he whispered into the phone.

“Reno?”

“Oh man, it’s good ta hear another voice,” Reno said, relieved. “Ya gotta come visit and bring me my games or laptop, dude.”

He heard Zack scoff on the other end of the phone. “Reno, you know I love you, right? But going against Tseng is not something I’m willing to do for anyone.”

“Aw, come on. I can’t just read anymore. I need some mindless entertainment.” Reno whispered furiously into the phone as he thumped his head back into his pillows in frustration.

“You can _read?”_ Zack chuckled on the other end of the phone.

“Fuck you,” Reno growled.

Zack laughed even harder. “I would have thought that Tseng would be providing you with that.” The way Zack drew out the last word made Reno remember all that he was missing from the hot man who was most likely sleeping on the couch in the living room.

“Not until I’m better,” Reno muttered. He was really beginning to hate those words.

“I’ll see if I can sneak you something, but he’s a hard one to get past.”

“Don’t I know it,” Reno muttered, “And maybe a burger or something that has some naughty trans-fats in it.”

“That’s pushing it, bub,” Zack chuckled.

 _“Please.”_

“Didn’t know you had manners, either.” Reno was not amused that Zack was finding such joy in his misery.

Reno heard shuffling from the other room and knew it was the sound of Tseng coming to check on him. He’d probably heard him talking and knew he was awake. Tseng always seemed to know when he was going to wake up and when he was hungry.

He probably knew that he was on the phone, too.

“Gotta go, yo. Bring me stuff,” he said in a rush and hung up the phone. He placed it back on the table where Tseng had absently left it and opened the book to the last page to make it look like he had just finished it, even though he’d done so an hour ago.

Tseng asked him the usual questions about how was feeling and if he wanted another book to read when he saw that he was on the last page. Reno shook his head and replied that he was fine.

Tseng meanwhile, grabbed the phone and pocketed it in his slacks.

“You really are lookin’ tired, bossman,” Reno whispered. “You shouldn’t wear yourself out ‘cause of me.”

“You are not wearing me out,” Tseng said, giving him a soft look. “I just want to make sure you get better.”

“Ya know, there _is_ a better reason to look tired and dishevelled,” Reno replied with a smile.

Tseng gave a sigh, but there was an amused tone to it. “When you are better.”

“I’m really fuckin’ hatin’ it when you say that, yo,” Reno said and collapsed back into his pillows.

“I know.” Tseng leaned forward and placed a kiss on his forehead. “I will make it worth your while, I promise.” Reno grumbled an incoherent response. “I will finish cooking supper.”

Reno scowled and hoped that Zack was able to break in and at least give him a moment of entertainment.

He ate what Tseng cooked and was asleep before anyone arrived to entertain him. He was pretty sure that Tseng knocked him out.

……………………………………………

Tseng took care of the interrupting Zack, who was carrying a greasy bag and a hand held gaming system as he showed up at the door. He told him in no uncertain terms that Reno was not allowed visitors.

Zack protested a little but Tseng shook his head and blocked the door. “No visitors until he is better.”

Zack laughed at him. “You’re acting like an overprotective chocobo with her chicks.”

Tseng promptly slammed the door in his face, but he could hear Zack laughing on the other side of the door.

Tseng phoned Rude to make sure that there would be no more intruders interrupting Reno’s healing time. He needed his rest, and not the hyperactive puppy to keep him from it.

Tseng went and made sure that Reno was still sleeping, grateful that he was and hadn’t heard the conversation with Zack. Even so, when Reno woke he looked anxious, as if he were awaiting a visitor.

Tseng didn’t allow interruption to ruin the routine that he had set for taking care of Reno. He would wake up and prepare a healthy breakfast, make sure Reno ate and then go back to work after he made sure Reno had enough reading material. After lunch they would do the exercise routine the doctors prescribed for his muscles. Reno would then shower and nap before they had dinner.

The entire while, Tseng resisted Reno’s advances and his insistence that he was well enough for other activities.

He couldn’t allow that indulgence –- even if it was getting ever harder to resist -- until Reno could move his leg without wincing. Reno still had a heavy limp and needed to use the crutch to walk everywhere he went. The short, supposedly therapeutic routine tired Reno out and made Tseng worry that he wasn’t recovering as well as the doctor had said.

They had just finished one of these sessions and were waiting for the doctor to arrive again when there was a knock at the door. Reno was sleeping again, as he often did after the exercise.

Tseng assumed that it was the doctor and didn’t bother to look through the peep hole to assure himself that it was indeed the doctor and not one of the many people who had been trying to visit Reno. He was startled by a dark body that brushed past his legs and ran into the bedroom. He looked up startled to see Rufus standing there with a crooked smile and amused eyes. He scowled at the Vice-President.

“Oops,” Rufus said with a shrug and pushed his way in. “She pulled out of her leash. Sorry.” There was nothing about his tone or look that indicated that he was sorry at all.

“Reno is not ready for visitors,” Tseng stated, looking concerned about the fact that Dark Nation ran straight to his bedroom where Reno was sleeping. Dark Nation and Reno had not been known to get along well, so he was a little worried about the situation. If Rufus hadn’t grabbed his arm, he would already be in that room making sure the pet monster was not doing any damage to Reno.

“You really are coveting him,” Rufus said. “I thought Zack was joking when he called you a mother hen.” Rufus removed his gloves and jacket and tossed them onto a nearby chair. “You aren’t going to get rid of _me_ so easily. I wish to see how he is doing, as you have been lax in updating me about his condition.”

“He is still recovering and he needs his rest,” Tseng replied, still holding the door open. “When there is a change, I will notify you.”

Rufus tilted his head and gave a dramatic sigh. “Are you still mad at me for the failure of the mission? Sending Reno out to retrieve one of my racing birds and having him nearly die because of that Zolom was not my fault.”

Tseng shook his head. “That would be irrational. I don’t blame you.” Even though he would vocalize how irrational it was, he still couldn’t help but be upset with Rufus.

“Then you will close the door and allow me to talk to Reno,” Rufus replied curtly. “I can only tolerate you shunning me for so long and my patience is wearing thin.”

Tseng frowned at Rufus. “I just … he needs to get better.”

Rufus sighed heavily and gave a dramatic sweep of his hand. “I know. I want to see him get better too, but you are coveting him.” Rufus looked to the bedroom where Dark Nation had disappeared.

“Why don’t we have a chat before we go see Reno, hm? I am rather thirsty and could use a tea,” Rufus said, removing the door from Tseng’s hand. “And I will not tolerate you telling me no on this matter. He may be your lover, but he is my friend.”

Tseng allowed the door to close. “I shall put on the kettle.”

………………………………………………………………………………..

The bed moved and Reno smiled. “Finally,” he mumbled as the bed shifted beside him. He’d been waiting for Tseng to finally get tired enough of his couch to join him in the bed. He was getting tired of begging, even though he wasn’t going to give up, and it appeared that Tseng had finally given in.

He didn’t open his eyes as he felt a warm weight beside him and smiled. “Knew ya’d break down,” he whispered as he reached toward the weight and … _something was not right._

It was a warm and … _furry._ Reno may not have gotten very far with Tseng but he knew he wasn’t a man who had excess hair on his body. The fur felt short and then something wrapped around his wrist that wasn’t a hand.

Reno’s eyes snapped open as he sat up quickly, pulling his arm from whatever had wrapped around it. He gasped and blinked rapidly as he assessed what was going on, but It took him a few shocking moments to process what he was seeing.

The large guard hound was looking rather put off at him. It had its ears plastered back and its tentacle was whipping behind him. It let out a low growl at Reno before it curled it head down and rested it on its paws.

The redhead blinked at the monster. Dark Nation hated him with a passion and usually decided that to either trip him with that tentacle, chow down on his arm … or steal one of his shoes.

Now it was cuddling in bed with him.

He lay back down after he slowed his heart down and curled up in the blankets. “Well, at least I get cuddles from _someone.”_ The tentacle lashed at him briefly but it was more a gentle swipe than a true attack.

Wherever Dark Nation was also meant Rufus was near. That meant that Reno had a visitor and as much as Boss man was stuffy at times, he was still someone to talk to.

Reno could hear Rufus’ voice in the other room and sounds of an argument, but he couldn’t make out what they were saying. He strained so hard to hear them that he didn’t realize when his hand wandered to the base of the monster’s tentacle and had began to stroke there. Dark Nation began a gruff sounding purr that was rather comforting, and before Reno knew what was happening, he had fallen asleep again.

Reno opened his eyes when the warm fur beneath his hand moved and started him awake. He looked up to see Tseng and Rufus looking down at him. He rubbed his eyes. “Yo, bossmen,” he said after he let out a loud, jaw-cracking yawn. “Am I in trouble? You both look like ya are ready to gang up on me.”

Rufus laughed. “Nothing like that,” Rufus said, running his hand through blond hair. “I just wanted to check on you and make sure you truly were okay. Tseng’s updates have been … rather lacking in detail.” Reno watched Rufus walk around to the other side of the bed and sit down. Dark Nation quickly moved so that she was resting her head on his lap and resumed her purr-growl as Rufus began stroking the large animal’s head. “Has Tseng been taking good care of you?”

“Can’t really complain all that much,” Reno said, despite the fact that he hadn’t gotten Tseng to even lie down beside him. “I’m gettin’ better but it would be a hell of a lot nicer if I was allowed to do more than read.” He directed that comment towards Tseng, who didn’t seem to be affected by it.

Rufus seemed to ignore the look as well. Well, if they were going to ignore the elephant in the room, Reno was going to change the subject.

“Sorry about your bird, Bossman. Damn snake was fast, yo.” Reno wiggled uncomfortably and Dark Nation’s tentacle lashed out and wrapped itself around his arm. He jumped a bit but the Guard Hound didn’t hurt him. He saw Tseng tense out of the corner of his eye at the sight. Dark Nation didn’t move any more than that, though, but Reno decided it was best to stay still until the monster left the bed.

“There was nothing that could have been done about that,” Rufus assured him as his attention focused on Dark Nation’s tentacle. “I just want to make sure that you will recover completely, and you do seem to be doing quite well. When I saw the pictures…” Rufus paused for a moment and appeared to be considering his words. “I was worried.”

“I’m stronger than a silly snake,” Reno replied as he tried to move his arm out of the clutches of the tentacle, but Dark Nation was not ready to let go.

“I’m aware of that,” Rufus said, lowering his voice. “How is your leg feeling?”

“Stiff,” Reno said. “Gonna have a cool scar, though.” He pulled the blanket back to show Rufus his leg. The movement made Dark Nation growl, but it did let go of his arm. Tseng looked away, but Reno seemed quite pleased with the scar. He didn’t have many of them, and this one was a doozy. He wouldn’t even have to tattoo over it to make sure it was noticed. “It goes right through!” Reno continued before he looked over to Rufus and saw how pale he had become.

Not everyone thought scars were cool.

“Too soon ta show it off, eh?” Reno said and covered his leg.

“It appears so,” Rufus replied, standing. Dark Nation rumbled in protest. “I am glad you are recovering well, but I must be going now.”

“Goin’?” Reno was alarmed and sat up in the bed. “Yo, ya just got here and ya haven’t told me any of the gossip yet!”

“I have been here for three hours,” Rufus said as he coaxed Dark Nation off the bed. The Guard Hound gave a dramatic stretch and impressive yawn before bounding off the bed and padding out the door.

“Aw, man,” Reno said. “I don’t know nothin’ about what’s goin’ on, yo! Did they catch the culprit that defiled Genesis desk? Sephiroth and Lazard were having an argument about deployment of troops and …”

Rufus’ laughter cut him off and he scowled up at the Vice-President. “I will send Cissnei or Zack to fill you in on the gossip,” Rufus promised, reaching his hand to ruffle red hair. Reno grumbled that he wasn’t a child, but didn’t really mind the affectionate gesture.

Tseng escorted the amused Rufus out before returning to the room, where Reno sat with his arms crossed and glaring at him. “I had a visitor and you bogarted all his time, yo.”

“We had some things to discuss,” Tseng replied as he sat on the side of the bed. “And you were sleeping.”

“Could ‘ave woke me up, yo,” Reno whimpered.

“I know, but the discussion took longer than we thought.” Tseng gave a sigh and ran his hand down the redhead’s leg in a slow and comforting manner, Reno enjoying Tseng touching him.

“What did ya you two talk about?” Reno asked as he revelled in the touch and tried not to show how much it aroused him, because then Tseng would stop and he _so_ didn’t want him to.

“It appears that I am coveting you and need to let loose the chains a little,” Tseng replied looking at him. “I was given quite a lecture on how I need to allow you to interact with the others and not stifle who you are, and that it would allow you to heal quicker. I was also told that I needed to let you have visitors and stop being so overprotective.”

Reno smiled and sat up a little in anticipation. “Yo! Does that mean we can have sex?”

Tseng sighed and removed his hand. “No. But I _will_ allow visitors and have Rude bring your computer over.”

“You’re killin’ me,” Reno said as he leaned his head back against the headboard and closed his eyes.

“You are still not well enough to walk without your crutch, so you are not ready for such activity yet,” Tseng said in a curt tone. Reno wanted to reach out and grab him and drag him down and show him that he _could_ take it, but even the simple anticipation of the movement caused his leg gave him a twinge of pain.

Reno felt the other’s hand return to his leg. “It won’t be much longer,” Tseng replied quietly. Reno felt him shift on the bed and when he opened his eyes, Tseng was leaning in close to his face. Tseng’s dark eyes were directly before his and were staring right into him. He moved in closer and pressed his lips against Reno’s in a deep, slow sensual kiss.

When they pulled apart, it took Reno a moment to regain his senses. “Yo, kissing me like that isn’t helpin’,” Reno whispered, wiggling slightly as he tried to think unsexy thoughts and relieve the pressure that was in building up in his boxers.

“I am well aware of that,” Tseng said as he shifted.

It was the first time Reno noticed that Tseng was looking a little unfulfilled too. He smirked as he glanced at the tent that he was creating. He’d thought Tseng was immune to becoming aroused, and he had better control.

Reno was cracking him and couldn’t be more proud. He leaned back and ran his hand down his chest. “Are ya?”

Tseng’s mouth set in a firm line and Reno was pleased to see Tseng’s dark eyes following the hand’s path.

“Enough, Reno,” Tseng said but his voice was not very convincing.

Reno rested his hand on his stomach. “Can ya sleep next to me tonight?” He gave Tseng the best pleading look he could manage. “I promise, I’ll behave. I wouldn’t lie to ya. You need a proper sleep too, and after havin’ ta listen to Rufus for three hours ya must be exhausted.”

Tseng looked like he was going to protest but by the time Reno was done speaking, Tseng was laughing. “We shall see,” he replied as he stood. “Are you hungry? Do you want to help me cook dinner?”

Reno sat up quickly. “You’re allowing me to help? You’re allowing me out of bed?”

“Unless you want to remain,” Tseng said as he slowly sauntered out of the room. It _was_ sauntering, because Tseng looked over his shoulder and gave the redhead a smirk that made Reno want to go over there and drag him back to the bed.

“Yo! I’m commin’,” Reno said as he threw the blankets back and grabbed for his crutch. He couldn’t help but smile. Whatever Tseng had talked about with Rufus, Reno approved of the conversation. He would have to send Rufus a thank you card.

……………………………………………………………………………………..

Reno was grateful for his visitors the next day and getting all the latest gossip. He’d hated being out of the loop and had a lot to catch up on. Cissnei brought him a coffee and sat with him in the bedroom and talked about everything he’d missed. She was always the first person to know who was doing who.

He heard all about how Sephiroth and Lazard were still arguing about deployment issues while in public. Cissnei whispered to him that she was pretty sure that the arguments were just foreplay. He heard that Zack had a tiff with his young blond boy-toy but they were good now. She even talked about the fact that Rufus was having a not-so-secret affair with a snoopy second class SOLDIER.

Reno just about spit out his precious coffee at the news. “How the hell did _that_ happen, yo? Seriously!”

She laughed and handed him a tissue. “Seriously, I don’t know! But Rufus got caught with him in his office and you _don’t_ want to know what they were doing.”

“Of _course_ I want to know what they were doin’, Toots! I’m a detail man!” Reno laughed and was grateful when Cissnei filled him in on all the juicy tidbits.

Reno had more visitors and wanted to kiss Rude when he handed him his laptop. He told Rude so and was promptly slapped in the back of the head by the larger man. Zack came and brought him greasy food which he promptly devoured. It was good to find out what was going on and that he was missed. It was nice that they all visited him and brought him coffee, but he was grateful when everyone left and he was alone with Tseng again. He was feeling invigorated and so much better from all the visitors. They cooked a meal together that was mainly vegetables, “To counteract the junk that Zack brought over.”

He didn’t mind though, as Tseng had given in. Not all the way yet, but at least he had slept beside him the night before and Reno kept his word and kept his hands to himself, other than just wrapping his arms around Tseng while he slept.

It was the best sleep he’d ever had.

Reno was hoping for more tonight but he also knew that he couldn’t really push Tseng. He was grateful for what he could get and sleeping next to and waking up with Tseng beside him was very comforting.

They ate their meal and cleaned up the dishes, Reno washing them while Tseng went about drying and putting things away.

As Reno worked, an arm wrapped around his waist and he felt the warmth of Tseng press against him, not protesting when he felt lips against his neck.

“Fuck, Tseng,” he whispered as he nearly dropped the plate he was washing. “Ya better not be teasin’ me, ‘cause I won’t be able ta hold back tonight, yo.” He pressed closer against the firm and familiar body.

Tseng hummed as his mouth kissed down the redhead’s neck to his shoulder. His arms gripped tighter around Reno’s waist and he felt his crutch fall away, depending on Tseng to keep him secured.

“Tseng,” he moaned.

Reno felt himself being pulled away from the sink. He hobbled a bit, but Tseng held him firm as he moved him slowly backwards. He let Tseng control his movements and position him so that he was nearly being carried by the dark haired man. Before this whole incident, Reno would not have wanted to seem weak in any way shape or form, but he didn’t mind that Tseng was taking care of him like this. It was quite nice and he was even more pleased with that fact that they finally gotten through the wall in their relationship where they could be together like this.

It was a shame that it took him nearly getting killed, but the aftermath was so worth it … especially if Tseng was taking him where he _thought_ he was taking him and they were going to do what Reno had been pestering the man for since he got back. The bedroom loomed closer and he couldn’t help but grin wider. “Yo, seriously, you better not be teasin’.”

Tseng hummed as he placed Reno on the bed.

Reno lay with his legs hanging over the edge and his arms suddenly pinned above his head. Tseng was gazing down at him with a passion that Reno had been trying to ignite in those eyes since he first climbed into his life. Tseng had finally allowed it to show.

He was rewarded with a passionate kiss that stole his breath and made his heart race. Reno was trying to recover from the kiss and get his thoughts back together to say something that seemed rather important before, but didn’t seem to matter any more.

Tseng took up the silence with the sexiest and most erotic words Reno had ever heard.

“I think you’re better.”

\----the end


End file.
